Blanket 'indemnity' not acceptable, specific investigations required: Anu Muhammad

Anu Muhammad, a member of the Gonotantrik Odhikar committee and former professor at Jahangirnagar University, has stated that each incident must be subjected to a specific investigation before granting criminal immunity to participants involved in political resistance activities during the July mass uprising.

He said that blanket indemnity cannot be granted indiscriminately. Rather, specific investigations are necessary to determine whether an incident occurred as part of the mass uprising or was the result of an individual’s criminal actions.

Anu Muhammad made these remarks on Wednesday morning at the National Press Club in Dhaka while responding to a question at a press conference titled “Manifesto for people’s peace, comfort, security and democratic rights.”

The press conference was organised to present a 25-point manifesto put forward by the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee. The event was chaired by Anu Muhammad.

In the first point of the manifesto, the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee stated that the next elected government must, within three years, complete full trials of Sheikh Hasina and all leaders and activists of the Awami League, along with bureaucrats, police, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and members of the armed forces, who were responsible for the July massacre.

It also called for a transparent judicial inquiry into the alleged escape of more than 600 Awami League leaders and activists to India, and for those who assisted in their escape to be brought under the law.

When a journalist at the press conference asked about immunity in cases involving the killing of police personnel in July, professor Anu Muhammad said that immunity should be granted only on the basis of proper and thorough investigations.

The 25-point manifesto of the Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee includes: returning ownership of all mass uprisings, including the July mass uprising and the Liberation War to the people; ensuring public security; independence and accountability of the judiciary; ending the culture of impunity; democratic rights to contest elections, eliminate disparities in election campaigning, and to reject candidates; transparency, accountability and equity in the national budget; economic security; strengthening the backbone of the economy and creating employment through an integrated package to ensure peace, comfort and security for farmers, poultry farmers, fish farmers, fishermen and consumers; peace, comfort, security and democratic rights for workers and employees in the formal sector; minimum security for workers in the informal sector; minimum security for freelancers; minimum peace, comfort and security for migrant workers; security for domestic industrial bases, businesspeople, hawkers, tea-stall owners, small traders and entrepreneurs; improvement in the quality of education; peace, comfort, security and democratic rights for students and teachers; security in healthcare and freedom in health protection; protection of life, nature and the environment; security in the power and energy sectors; safe roads; protection of freedom of expression; security of people’s sovereignty and international relations; reduction of losses from earthquakes and fire incidents and ensuring housing security; security and freedom of recreation; security and democratic rights in cultural and religious activities; peace, comfort, security and democratic rights for indigenous peoples; peace, comfort, security and democratic rights for women; peace, comfort, security and democratic rights through unity in diversity; and security and freedom in dress.

At the press conference, the manifesto was read out by Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee members Akram Khan, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed and Susmita Mita. Professor Samina Luthfah of the University of Dhaka was also present.